Screening-machine.



J. F. & A. W. MOLD.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

awuemkozs J. F. & A. W. MOLE SCREENING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED SEPT.23, 1911.

Pafienied 2, 1

Luisa-ma a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS F. MOLD AND ALBERT W. MOLD, OF SUNRISE, MINNESOTA.

SCREENING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Application filed September 28, 1911. Serial No. 651,810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ULlUS F. Mom) and Anni-112T \V. MOLD, citizens ofthe United States. residing at Sunrise, in the county of Chisago andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inScreening-h'lachines; and we do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use theFlllllQ- This invention relates to screening machines, and moreespecially it is adapted for sorting and separating potatoes and likearticles so that they may be graded according to their size, and formeanwhile screening or separating the dirt, sprouts, and like materialtherefrom.

The object of the invention is to produce certain detailed improvementsin such machines, to which end it conslsts of certain novel features ofconstruction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as Wlll bemore fully described and claimed In the accompanying drawings: Flgnre 1is a side view of our improved potato sorting machine; Fig. 2 is a toplan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section ofthe machine; Fig. 4 1s a vertical cross sectional view on the line 4-4of Fig. 1 looking in the directlon of the arrow; Fig. 5 is a similarview taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in the opposite direction.

In the embodiment of'the invention we provide a frame 1 comprising lowerlongitudinally disposed bars or sills 2 to the rear portions of whichare secured the lower ends of a series of uprights or standards 3 and 3connected together near their upper ends by longitudinal side bars 4.The rear ends of the side bars 4 are connected together by a cross bar 5and the upper ends of the standards 3 and 3 project above the side bars4 and cross bar 5 as shown.

Arranged above the side bars and cross bar of the frame is a screensupporting frame comprising side boards 6 between which is arranged anupper coarse screen 7 which extends from one end of the frame to theother. Below the inner portion of the screen 7 and referably extendin alittle more than half the length thereo is a lower finer screen 8 whichis 8 need a suitable distance from the screen and is secured to thelower edges of the boards H as shown. The screen frame is engaged withand removably supported at its outer end on the adjacent ends of theside bars 4 and across the bar 5 and at its inner end said frame issupported by short links 9 pivotally secured thereto at one end and attheir opposite ends pivotnlly connected to the adjacent portions of theside bars 4 as shown. When thus supported the screen frame is held at aslight angle or inclination toward the outer or discharge end thereofand has its outer or discharge end slidably engaged between theprojecting upper ends of the standards 3.

Arranged between the standards 3 and 3 of the frame and below the screenframe are wide and narrow chutes 10 and 11 having their bottoms 12pivotally connected midway between their side edges to a shaft 13arranged in the end boards or walls and artition 14 of the chutes. Bythus arrangmg and supporting the bottoms 12 of the chutes, said bot-tomsmay be tilted or inclined in either direction as clearly shown in Figs.4 and 5 of the drawings, to discharge the contents of the chutes ateither side of the machine. The lower end or hottoms 12 of the chutesare on aged with longitudinal chute supportin bars 15 secured at theirends to the stan ards 8 and 3 as shown.

On the sides and lower edges of the side boards 6 of the screen frameare arranged wear plates 16 which are ada )tcd to slidably enga e theends of the si e bars 4 and the cross at 5 and the adjacent upper endsof the standards 3 when the screen frame is reeiprocated, thus relievingthe engaging parts of the frame from being worn. in the outer end of thescreen frame at the. end of the screen 7 is arranged a tapered discharge chute 17 by means of which the potatoes in passing from thescreen frame are discharged into the bag which is preferably supportedby a suitable holder on a weighing scale which is adapted to be arrangedat the discharge end of the machine. The chute 17 is pivotally securedin the end of the screen frame and is adapted to be swung upwardly atright angles and across the. mouth of the frame as shown in dotted linesin Fl 3 0f the drawings in which position said 0 ate forms a sto toprevent the lis charge of the potatoes mm the upper screen after a baghas been filled and while the filled bag is being removed and replacedby I an empty bag. The chute 17 is held in an cated to agitate thescreens therein by means of a reciprocating mechanism comprising a crankshaft v18 revolubly mounted in suitable bearings on' the standards 3 andhaving engaged therewith a pitman rod l9.the free end ofwhich isconnected by a spring a 20 to a cross bar 21 secured at its ends to thelower edges of the side boards 6 of the screenframe as shown. By meansof the spring 20 a flexible connection isv rovided between the. endofthe pitman rod 19 and the screen frame which will prevent the crankshaft and pitman rod from lifting the screen frame during thereciprocating movement imparted thereto by these parts. The

shaft 18'.has fixedly mounted on one end a driving pulley 22 whichis'preferably connected by a belt 23 to a driving pulley 24 on the shaft25 of a small motor 26 arranged on asuitable platform 27 in the lowerportion of the frame 1 as shown. The motor 26 may be 'of any suitableconstruction but is preferably in the form of a gasolene motor. Arrangedin the frame above the motor is an inclined motor protecting board orchute 28 whereby the motor is protected from any objects which' mightfall thereon from above. Arranged in the front end of the frame. 1 is'aninclined elevating mechanism comprising a chute 29 the lower endofwhichis secured to the front ends of the sills 2, while the upper endthereof is secured to the upper ends of the standards 3 and to theforwardly projecting ends of the side bars 4 as shown. On the lower endof the chute 29 is arranged a hopper 30 into which the po tat'oes areshoveled' or dumped and from which the. same are carried up the chuteand discharged into the screen frame by means of an endless conveyorcomprising endless sprocket chains 31 which are engaged with sprocketgears 32 mounted on a shaft33 in the lower ehd of the chute and withsprocke gears34 fixed on a'drive shaft 35 revolubly mounted'in the upperend of the chute as shown. The chains 31 are connected by a series .ofslats 36; which are carried around by the chains over the bottom of thechute, thereby conveying the potatoes from the hopper up the chute anddischarging the potatocs'at the upperend thereof onto the a shaft '35which has fixedly mounted. on one" fchains screen frame in which theyare separated by the screens as herembefore described. The conveyerchains are operated by the drive end a sprocket gear 37 connected bysprocket 38 :to a sprocket gear 39 fixed on the the machine the properdirection for conveying the potatoes from the hopper to screens.

As clearly shown the conveyor frame 29 of the elevatin mechanism isarranged at an incline, an the receiving end of the screen frame islikewise formed or beveled, whereby when the machine is in operation thesaid screen frame will be reciprocated to and from the conveyer frame29, during the movement of the endless conveyerfor depositing'thepotatoes within the screen frame when the' receiving end ofthe same isadjacentto the conveyor frame, the gearing being properly proportionedand arranged for carrying out the movement of the parts referred to. Bythis construction and arrangement of parts it is impossible I theseparating for any of the potatoes to pass between the receiving end'bfthe reciprocating screen frame and the conveyor frame during the.

operation of the machine.

In order place to another we provide small supporting wheels 40 whichare revolubly mounted on stub axles 41 secured in the lower ends oflevers 42 pivotally mounted on the outer sides of the sills 2substantially midway between the ends of the machine whereby when saidlevers are swung upwardly and downwardly the wheels 40 will be broughtinto and out of operative position to provide a. wheeled support forwhereby the latter may be readily pushed from place to place. When thelonger ends of the levers 4.2 are swung upwardly the-wheels 40 ontheshorter ends thereof will be brought into engagement with the flooror surface on whichthe machine is resting thus elevatin the machine aslight distance above the oorand permittin the same to be placed on thewheels and t us pushed to t e desired position. After the machine hasthus been brought to the desired position the longer ends of the levers42 are swung downwardly thereby lifting the wheels 40 and permitting themachine to again lower into engagement with the floor, as will bereadily understood.

In the operation of the machine the latter may be arranged in the 'doorof a warehouse and the potatoes shoveled from a car or wagon directlyinto the hopper 30 from whence they are elevated by the conveyormechanism and discharged onto the upper screen in the screen frame. Thereciprocating movement of the screen frame will mo:ve

to facilitate the moving of the 7 machine from one the larger potatoesacross the screen to the I will pass into the bag pro ings,

tatoes, sprouts and any foreign matter and dirt will pass through thelarger screen and the smallest or unsalable potatoes, dirt and the likewill pass through the lower screen and into the larger discharge chutefrom whence they are conducted to a basket or other receptacle. Thesmaller potatoes which were too large to pass through the lower. screenwill be discharged from the rear end thereof into the smaller chute andwill be conducted thereby to a suitable receptacle provided to receivethe same. It

will be noted that in the operation of the screen'frame a directreciprocating or back and forth movement is imparted thereto-by thedriving mechanism thereof and that the Various changes in the form,proportion" and the minor details of construction may be resorted toWithout departing'from the principl'e or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention,

what we claim is:

A screening machine comprising a main frame, a screen frame whosedelivery end is in sliding engagement with the forward end of said mainframe, links p'ivotally connectint the opposite end of the screen framewith said main frame, a rotary crank shaft, a pitman rod connected withits crank, and

- a leaf spring secured at one. end to said rod and at its other end toacross bar in' the screen frame and having a tendency to hold theforward end of such frame in frictional contact with the main framewhereby the screen frame is given an edgewise movement and preventedfrom changing its vertical position during its reciprocation.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribingwitnesses.

JULIUS'F. MOLD. ALBERT W. MOLD.

-Witnesses:

Manon LUN'IZ, E. Nonncsnn.

